Quetzaltenango is both the seat of the namesake Department and municipality, in Guatemala. The city is located in a mountain valley at an elevation of 2,330 meters above sea level at its lowest part. It may reach above 2,400 m (7,900 ft) within the city.

José Rafael Carrera y Turcios was the president of Guatemala from 1844 to 1848 and from 1851 until his death in 1865, after being appointed President for life in 1854. During his military career and presidency, new nations in Central America were facing numerous problems: William Walker's invasions, liberal attempts to overthrow the Catholic Church and aristocrats' power, the Civil War in the United States, Mayan uprising in the east, Belize boundary dispute with the United Kingdom, and the wars in Mexico under Benito Juárez. This led to a rise of caudillos, a term that refers to charismatic populist leaders among the indigenous people.